‘School Feeding: NPP Paid All Arrears Before Leaving Office – Afenyo-Markin Responds to Ato Forson

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has dismissed claims that the previous NPP government left unpaid arrears for school feeding caterers before exiting office.

Addressing comments made by Finance Minister-designate Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Afenyo-Markin insisted that all payments due to caterers were cleared before the end of 2024.

“Government paid all caterers for the last term. For this current term, payments are pending because the term has just started,” he said during a parliamentary vetting session.

Dr. Ato Forson, during his vetting, had criticized the NPP administration for allegedly neglecting school feeding caterers. He referred to a protest on December 30, 2024, when caterers under the School Feeding Programme demanded payment of arrears covering two academic terms in 2023 and 2024.

Despite assurances from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, the caterers claimed they had not received their funds. Responding to these accusations, Afenyo-Markin argued that the government had fulfilled its obligations.

“The NPP government, at the time of leaving office, had paid every single caterer,” he emphasized. To clarify further, Afenyo-Markin explained the difference between fund releases and actual payments.

He noted that while the government released funds to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to cover 72 days of arrears, only 42 days’ worth of payments had reached the caterers.

The remaining 32 days of payments are yet to be disbursed. He concluded by urging the current administration to ensure that the outstanding payments are made promptly.